Advice needed
I left the regional industry in the united states for greener pastures over seas, and so far the experience has been great. I told my girlfriend that I would just do this for 1 year, make great money, and return when this "pilot shortage" starts and make my way to a respectable major airline. My problem is I finally know how it feels to work for an airline that values my skill, and compensates me for it, and now I am having second thoughts. I will never see this kind of money ever again in my career in the United States which is a depressing to think about. I spend 6 weeks working over seas, and get to spend 3 weeks off, with a paid round trip ticket to my gate way city (PHL).. Or any city of my choice. I take home between 15-18K a month for flying a very easy schedule.
With the state of the airline industry in the US, Legacy carriers continuously getting larger RJ's by relaxing scope, and allowing more flying to the regionals making movement virtually stagnant for the foreseeable future, is it worth it to still try? Are their any expat pilots that made a full carrier working as a contract pilot? To legacy pilots, do you see the movement of flying back to mainline pilots even a remote possibility. Will other airlines reduce 50 seat jets and replace those routes with less frequent bigger a/c like delta is doing with these 717's? With the reduction of flying from legacy carriers, and potential furloughs from large regionals, I see no changes to this industry in the near future. I hope I am wrong.. Any advice is, as it always will be, greatly appreciated.